A new Internet radio station has launched locally with a mission to help area businesses connect with other members of the business community.

Ann Revell-Pechar, owner of A. Revell Communications, is owner of Business Radio X, which will rely on sponsored content. She brought the concept from Atlanta, where Business Radio X began and currently operates five studios.

“Wilmington businesses need a way to help tell their stories,” Revell-Pechar said in a news release. “We established the studio here because Wilmington has a great foothold for business, but not enough people know what’s happening and just how strong we are. Our goal is to promote the great work being done here, and establish another opportunity for business owners to make meaningful connections.”

Most of Wilmington’s Business Radio X content at present comes from companies that Revell-Pechar interviewed at a Raleigh technology conference in September, but she is developing material for the two house shows she will produce: Wilmington Business Radio and Bridges to Business. She said both will feature long-form interviews and will give companies time to talk about their business in an in-depth way.

The first episode of Wilmington Business Radio aired Friday and featured segments on Synergy HomeCare of Wilmington and OmniStar Financial. The episode – like all future ones – is available as a podcast and can be downloaded from iTunes or the Wilmington Business Radio website.

The locally produced shows will have paid sponsors as opposed to traditional advertisment spots, Revell-Pechar said in a telephone interview Wednesday.

Revell-Pechar’s objective is to have five to six shows running on the Internet station by the summer, some focusing on a particular business and some taking a broader look at local business trends or even the long history of business in Wilmington, she said. The five Atlanta stations, the first of which launched in 2007, have a combined total of 72 shows.